"Our ultimate competition is with ourselves. That is what my
uncle told me when I would visit him as a young boy... My
uncle, the man the world knows as Kaga the Chairman, has
decided that although America is a young country, we now
possess the proper palate to host our own Iron Chef
competition, an American celebration of the world's high art
of cuisine."

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Flay/Comerford
vs. Batali/Lagasse: Super Chef BattleJanuary 3

The Chairman has dispatched two of his
warriors and one special guest superchef to Washington, DC to pick up
his latest challenger, Chef Cristeta Comerford, for what will go down in
history as a momentous occasion in Iron Chef history. And this time, the
secret ingredient is of national importance. And so is the special
guest.

We start with Alton Brown given a) an
envelope that says "Open Later", and b) instructions to head with his
superchefs, Iron Chef Mario Batali, Iron Chef Bobby Flay, and superchef
Emeril Lagasse, to meet Chef Comerford at her kitchen in Washington, DC.
The address... 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW. The White House.

First, Comerford introduces the team to
First Lady Michelle Obama, who has planted a vegetable garden on the
South Lawn, using it as a tool to teach children about healthy eating.
To that end, she will present the secret ingredient for today...

The Theme Ingredient: ANYTHING
from the White House garden, including several varieties of vegetables
and fruits, and Presidential honey. In addition, the Chairman has
sources sustainable American proteins including pork shoulder, heritage
turkey, oysters, bay scallops, goat cheese, and cider vinegar

And the envelope that says "OPEN
LATER"... "Chefs: the First Lady has spoken, and soon you will return to
Kitchen Stadium to produce a fantastic meal that will inspire America."
Iron Chef Flay will team with Comerford, while Iron Chef Batali will
cook alongside Lagasse. "Please gather your ingredients wisely, because
more surprises await you in Kitchen Stadium."

Batali and Legasse use a little bit of
strategy, taking the tomatillos before Flay can get a change, while Flay
& Comerford grab a bunch of greens and, as First Lady Obama mentioned,
"one or two sweet potatoes".

Okay, now to business...

The Crib Sheet:

FLAY/COMERFORD
Tommy Kurpradit, sous-chef

VS

BATALI/LAGASSEAnne Burrell, sous-chef

Southwestern/Modern
American

COOKING STYLE

Italian/New Orleans

Back in Kitchen Stadium,
Comerford is apprised of the rules...

The Rules: Each team of chefs must create a five-course
meal, with each course utilizing the theme ingredient,
within 60 minutes. In addition, each chef team's menus
must reflect the melting pot of American cuisine and Mrs. Obama's
message of freshly sourced, local, healthy eating. The judges will score the dishes on a
20-point scale: 10 points taste, 5 points plating and
presentation, 5 points creativity and use of ingredient.
The team of chef that best articulate the theme ingredient
through their dishes wins.

The battle clock is set at 60 minutes, which will start
when Alton, with full heart and empty stomach,
utters the words of his dear Chairman.... "Allez cuisine!"

And the Super Chef Battle is underway!
Pork and turkey are vanishing from the altar and the chefs are getting
started. Also, joining Kevin Brauch on the floor is "Chopped" host
Ted Allen. Ted will comment on Flay & Comerford, and Batali & Lagasse
will be monitored by Kevin. Team Batali is going to work on two separate
dishes and one collabo. Team Flay wants to put the ingredients at the
forefront.

Comerford is zesting citrus into her
battle, which goes into a blast chiller, while Lagasse is making himself
some dirty rice. Flay has cherry tomatoes for a barbecue sauce. Batali
is slicing some icicle radishes.

Ten minutes into the battle, and Flay &
Comerford have broken down cauliflower and made an apple gastrique. In
the Batali-Lagasse party, we've sliced sweet potatoes and grated celery
root. Anne, meanwhile, is cooking a carrot beignet. Tommy is countering
with a scallop mousse. Batali also douses some local quail with some
White House honey. And someone's making chicory coffee... has to be
Lagasse.

And the ICE CREAM MACHINE is on!

"Fifteen minutes have elapsed." Lagasse
is making a remoulade in his food pro, while Batali is working on a
romanesco. Tommy is harvesting oysters, while Batali is making a ravioli
mixture. Flay & Comerford are making a potato-wrapped oyster with
scallop mousse.

On the other side, Lagasse is stuffing
his turkey with some of that dirty rice. And it's being tied for a
roast... No, it's a roulade being fried. Batali is making a grape puree,
while Flay is working on Japanese eggplant, and Tommy is pulling
collards out of the pressure cooker. Batali is making a pear caponata,
while Flay has got his hands on his secret weapon: corn.

Flay wants Comerford to use her Filipino
heritage. She says that she and Flay are representing what "America is
all about right now."

"Thirty minutes have elapsed."

The turkey roulade is out of the fryer in
the Batali-Lagasse kitchen... and it's a little overdone. Cooked turkey
temperature should be between 160 and 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Their
turkey... 110 or 115. Looks like they're going to braise finish that.
Meanwhile, Flay is working on a masa batter for a tamale. Collard green
tamales. Comerford is working with some sungold tomatoes, while Lagasse
is frying oysters three ways. And Anne's beignet batter has some milk.

And we have another surprise. The spirit
of giving is a part of this Super Chef Battle. As a spur to greatness,
the Chairman and Food Network will donate $25,000 to the charity of the
winner's choice.

We find that Batali has burned something
else... the icicle radishes. Flay & Comerford are simmering cranberries
with honey, while Flay is handing off his tamales for the steam. Lagasse
is getting a few oysters "happy" Batali has busted out the lardo. If you
could put love in a physical form... it would be lardo. That succulent
ham by-product.

And it looks like the beignet is going to
be served with a cafe brulot. Alton can't freaking wait for this.

"Twenty minutes to go."

It looks like Tommy is struggling with
that dough that chilled hard in the blast chiller. It's breaking up
something fierce, while Batali and Anne are finishing that ravioli.
Lagasse's oysters are going into their crusts. Tommy's tart dough is
finally into the oven.

"Fifteen minutes to go."

Batali has started plating, while Tommy
is finishing his ice cream with milk, which is getting loaded at 13:30.
Batali & Lagasse have already started plating the caponata. And Lagasse
is happy with his turkey. Comerford is pouring out her broccoli soup.
Flay is making a tempura of lobster. And the sweet potato tart still
needs to happen. Time is crucial right about now.

In the Flay/Comerford half, we have fried
oysters and meringue, while Batali & Lagasse have lardo-wrapped quail,
and heirloom carrot beignets. Things are moving quickly. The tart shells
are finally out of the oven, but Comerford needs to get the sweet
potatoes down. Batali has plated his sweet potato and goat cheese
raviolo. So far, they have pasta, oysters, caponata, scallops, and
turkey... that's five. Flay & Comerford have clams, calamari salad,
tamales... and a wild finish. Flay & Comerford have a
eggplant/carrot/lobster, potato-wrapped oyster, clam, barbecue, and
we're still waiting for that tart with ginger ice cream. It's under the
salamander with a meringue. They're making a baked Alaska! Batali &
Lagasse have the scallops/radish, oyster trio, sweet potato raviolo,
quail, turkey, and the beignets with chicory coffee. Now it's all about
making it look good.

"One minute to go." We're raging up until
the finish line... and our kids will be talking about this to their kids
one day...

Judgment (Batali/Lagasse): L: "We
wanted to focus on the garden as much as we possibly could, and then build some
proteins around that." B: "Each of the dishes will have one giant aria
behind it, and then a couple of high notes and low notes."

This was truly an American feast to behold.
Hopefully the message was not lost on us, as we as Americans learn to eat
locally, freshly sourced ingredients, and prepare them as to eat well.

But to business. One team must taste the bitter
stench of defeat. The other must rise like the cream to the top of the pile. So
whose cuisine reigns supreme?

IRON CHEF

CHALLENGER

Taste

27

27

Plating

15

12

Originality

13

11

... 55-50 in favor of
Iron Chef Bobby Flay & Chef Cristeta Comerford. This
Super Chef Battle even had super close scoring. Both
teams drew even in taste, so it was the aesthetic value
that would eventually win the day for the Iron Chef and
his Washington counterpart. Flay can rest easy knowing
that he sent Comerford back to the White House with the
belt.

And to make Flay &
Comerford's victory even sweeter, The Chairman and Food
Network will donate $25,000 to Citymeals on Wheels.